"There was no board action required at this stage," Bettman said. "We are awaiting a determination by the city of Glendale as to whether or not they are going to have new arrangements for the building for new ownership for the Coyotes. That's a decision that needs to be made by July 2."

The holdup is that the Renaissance Group, which is in the late stages of purchasing the team from the NHL, wants $15 million a year to run the arena. The city's latest proposal was $8.3 million annually. Whether that gap can be bridged by Tuesday could determine the fate of the Coyotes.

"I don't want to be more specific than I'm going to be, but if the council doesn't approve it so this transaction can close, I don't think the Coyotes will be playing there anymore," Bettman.

If things do not work out between the Coyotes and Glendale, Bettman said "there is enough time" for the franchise to move before the start of the 2013-14 season. Seattle and Quebec City have been reported to be the most likely destinations for the Coyotes should they be forced to move.

"The fact of the matter is, we haven't ironed out or put into effect a Plan B," Bettman said. "We have lots of options. I find it difficult to conceive of why, if the council turns this down, we would want to keep the team in Glendale any longer. So, we will then, if they turn it down, have to deal with the possibilities and the options that will be available to us, and they are numerous."

Plan B might not be "ironed out" or "put into effect" yet, but it was clear that Bettman and his bosses, the 29 team owners who have jointly owned the Coyotes for four years, are ready to put this situation behind them, one way or another—and it's now up to the city of Glendale just how that happens.